With Prince Charles, now taking on the mantle of King since the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, we look back to the summer of 2003, when His Royal Highness dropped in on Tenby and paid a special visit to the Tenby Observer offices on Warren Street, as the publication celebrated its 150th anniversary, as Pembrokeshire’s oldest newspaper.
Flag-waving and cheering crowds, some of whom had waited patiently in the rain for several hours, lined the streets outside to give a warm Tenby welcome to smiling Charles.
His arrival was heralded by the joyous sounds of the local Salvation Army Band. This was particularly poignant, as 25 years previously, the Salvation Army’s Sunshine Club had prayed for the Observer during its dark and troubled times when the ‘paper had announced its death and came close to closure.
Since then, however, with their prayers having been answered, the Observer, a household name in Tenby and its neighbourhood, has flourished under the ownership of Sir Ray Tindle CBE, who took over the reins in 1978.
Following an impromptu walkabout when he chatted to delighted well-wishers, His Royal Highness was invited in to the Observer offices by Sir Ray, and the general manager at the time Clare Townend and recently retired editor Neil Dickinson.
During his tour of the building, he was able to see the various departments at work and meet the staff involved in producing the ‘paper.
He also viewed a fascinating exhibition on the history of the ‘paper, from its founding in 1853 to the present day, and heard about one of its previous greatest milestones, when a protracted legal battle by its then owner, Frank B. Mason, resulted in the Admission of the Press Act in 1908.
His Royal Highness then proceeded back to the hallway at the front of the building where he was invited to unveil a bilingual plaque to commemorate his visit and a second plaque detailing the history of the newspaper’s fight for press freedom.
Afterwards, a delighted Sir Ray, who marked the occasion by presenting the Prince with a pair of 100-year-old silver anointing spoons similar to the 12th century one used for many hundreds of years in Coronation ceremonies, remarked that it was “the greatest day in the history of the Observer.”
After spending an hour at the Observer offices, it was time for His Royal Highness to bid farewell, with cheering crowds sending him on his way as his cavalcade moved off up Warren Street and through White Lion Street, High Street, Crackwell Street and Castle Square for his second engagement in the town at Tenby Museum and Art Gallery.
The museum was celebrating its 125th anniversary and the visit was specifically designed to introduce His Royal Highness to the various activities currently undertaken by local volunteers, demonstrating how this small, yet significant award-winning local museum is administered as a predominantly voluntary organisation on behalf of the community.
During his informal tour of the museum, His Royal Highness accompanied by hon. curator John Beynon and assistant curator Mark Lewis, met volunteers and staff engaged in reception, education, housekeeping, exhibition design, research, conservation, publication, maintenance and other activities.
He also met members of the trustees and viewed exhibitions, while senior museum volunteer, Eric Bradforth, presented him with a print of his painting ‘Tenby in 1586’, on behalf of the museum.
At the conclusion of his visit, His Royal Highness was invited to unveil a plaque to commemorate the occasion and also to sign the visitors’ book, before saying goodbye to Tenby and departing for the helicopter site at Clicketts Lane.
